Thomas b



(No Model.)

T. B. FERGUSON, Jr. PIOKET FENCE WIRING MACHINE.

No. 590,701. Patented Sept. 28, 1897.

Fig-7- ////1 v WLUMJJZI? mu By mums min: 00., mcn'aumo" wMmNu'rom u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS E. FERGUSON, JR, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

I Pl-CKET-FENCE-WIRING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ratent No. 590,701, datedSeptember 28, 1897. Application filed January 14, 1897. SerialNo.619,179. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. FERGUSON, Jr. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New'York and State ofNewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPicket-Fence- Wiring Machines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe afull, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it-a'ppertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in picket-fence-wiring machinesdesigned particularly for manual operation in which a plurality ofguide-rings supported between parallel uprights or handle-bars andcarrying circularly moving twister -heads are employed, together witha'wire-tightener of an improved construction, and constitutes certainimprovements upon the construction disclosed in the patent granted to meJanuary 14, 1896, No. 553,188, for a machine for wiring fence-pickets.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a machine of thischaracter in which the knocker on the front of the twisting-head extendsfrom one end to the other thereof and is segmental upon its outersurface, thereby affording a convex surface to come in contact with thepickets and prevent them from engaging upon the corners of the knocker,thus preventing the free circular movement of the twister-heads aroundthe guide-rings, and to employ'the fourth stud near the upper edge ofthe twister-head to keep the heads parallel and prevent the'heads frombinding on the edge of the guide-rings; also, to form the additionaldiverging slots in the lower edge of the twister-heads,- adapted to beused when wire pickets 'areemployed instead of the thick wooden picketsordinarily used, and toform a reinforcing-rib on the front face of thetwister-head which is provided with the knocker, designed to affordadditional strength to this part, together with reinforced portions onthe inner surfaces of said twisting-heads to secure greater strengththroughout the same.

The further objects of this invention are to provide a simple andefiective wire-tightener having a row of laterally-projecting knobs uponeach side thereof and having a trans- ;verse slot formed in the yoke endthereof through which the wire passes, also providing 'a transverseshaft which is mounted in the yoke end of the wire-tighte'ner, adaptedto receive the wire which passes through said transverse slot, saidshaft being provided with a central opening to receive the end of thewire and secure the same in order that the wire may be wound upon theshaft.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described in the specificatail view of the crank-handle.

Similar'characters of reference designate like parts throughout theseveral views.

In carrying my invention into practice I preferably employ two uprightsor handlebars 5 and 6, provided at predetermined points with handles 8and 9 to be grasped by the operators to facilitate the manipulation ofthe machine during the process, of constructing a fence therewith, andbetween these uprights 5 and 6 I secure three guide-rings 10 by means ofarms 11, projecting laterally from said rings, but it is obviousthatalarger orsmaller number of rings may be employed, and I thereforedo not confine myself to any particular number of the guide-rings. Bydividing these guide-rings at one side an entrance is offered for thewire, and secured to or formed on the guide-ringsat each side of theentrance or opening therein are extensions or lugs 12, adapted to act asguides for the wire when passingthroughtheeiitrance or opening in theguide-rings 10 and also to bear against the upright 6 and therebymaintain all of the guide-rings in the same vertical plane. 1

Movably mounted on the guide-rings 10 are the twister-heads 13, whichare composed of two members or parts 14 and 15, each having a curvedinwardly-directed flange 16, adapted to project over the outer edges ofthe guidering and maintain the twister-heads in position thereon, yetleaving them free to move around the guide-rings to twist the wire.

The member 14 of the twister-head has formed therein oblong longitudinalslots 17, with which com municate, near the lower outer portion thereof,outwardly-directed slots 18, and formed in the lower central portion ofthe member 14 are other outwardly-directed slots 19, which terminate incircular enlargements or openings, and these latter slots are designedparticularly for use to guide or hold the wire when a fence is beingconstructed of wire pickets. The portions of said member 14 of thetwister-head between the slots are reinforced or strengthened, as shownat 20, Fig. 2, and these reinforced portions are designed to increasethe strength of the portions of the member between the slots anddiminish the likelihood of breaking at these points when subjected tothe strain of the wire in the construction of a fence.

At predetermined points in the reinforced or strengthened portions areformed depressions or sockets 21, or these sockets may be formed inother parts of the member 14, if desired, and there is also formedtherein an opening 30 to receive a connecting-bolt which holds themembers 14 and 15 of the twisterhead together, and upon the other sideor surface of the member 14 is formed a reinforcing-rib 23, extendingtransversely thereof and designed to give additional strength thereto,and above the rib 23 and projecting laterally from the upper edge of themember is a segmental flange 24, extending from one end of the member tothe other, and by forming this flange in this manner no projections orpoints are produced to engage the pickets and prevent the movement ofthe twisterheads around the guide-rings, and this constructionconstitutes another of the objects of this invention.

The member 15 of the twister-head is similar in construction to themember 14, before described, with the exception that in the place of thesockets 21 of the member 14 studs or projections 25 are secured theretoor formed thereon at predetermined points, and they are adapted toregister with the sockets 21 in the member 14, and it will be alsoobserved that in this invention an upper central stud is employedadapted to keep the upper portions of the twister-heads from impingingagainst the edges of the guide-ringand thereby impeding the freemovement of the twisterheads around the guide-ring.

In the member 15 are formed the oblong slots 26, with which communicatethe outwardly-directed slots 27, and in the lower cen: tralportionthereof are formed the outwardlydirected slots 28, as before described,and

between these slots are the reinforcing or strengthening portions 29,from which preferably project the studs 25, before mentioned, and thesemembers 14 and 15 are removably connected together by means of a bolt31, which passes through the openings in said members and is secured inposition by means of a nut 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The wire-tightener shown in Fig. 6 e011- sists of a shank 33, from eachside of which projects a row of knobs or headed projections 34, andthese knobs are designed to receive the strands of wire and retain thesame in the proper position .during the construction of the fence, andconnected with or formed on one end of said shank 33 is ayoke 35, thefree end of which is provided with a slot 36, through which theanchor-wire passes, and mounted midway of the yoke 35 is a transverseshaft 37, having a central opening 39 formed therein, adapted to receivethe ends of the wire which passes through the slot 36 and toy hold theends while the wireis wound upon the shaft 37, and this also is anotherobject of this invention.

Mounted rigidly upon the shaft 37 is a ratchet-wheel 41, and theopposite end of the shaft is retained in position by means of a splitkey 38, and the end of said shaft 37 adjacent to the ratchet-wheel 41 issquare in cross-section and adapted to enter an opening 44 in the crank45, by means of which the shaft 37 may be rotated, and to prevent thereverse movement of said shaft I provide a pawl 42, which is pivoted tothe yoke 35 adjacent to the ratchet-wheel.

The operation of the machine will be readily understood from theforegoing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the following description thereof.

The anchor-wire is passed through holes in the end post, then throughthe slot 36 in the end of the yoke 35 of the wire-tightener, after whichthe ends of the wire are passed through the opening 39 in the shaft 37,which upon being revolved by the crank 45 while the wire is thereon,-andthe main wires being suitably connected with the first post and havingthe extremities of said wires attached 'to the knobs 34 of thewire-tightener the main wires can always be kept tight during theprocess of constructing the fence, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, and by placing the upright in the position shown in saidfigure and engaging the Wires into the oblong slots of the twister-headsthe wire can be twisted after each picket has been inserted by movingsaid upright outwardly, upwardly, inwardly, and downwardly, or about thetwister-head as a pivot, one-half a revolution and back again.

Various changes in and modifications of the construction of theinvention herein shown and described may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, and I reserve the right to makethe same when carrying this invention into practice.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Leting of uprights or handle-bars, guide-rings secured betweenthe handle-bars, twisterheads movably mounted on said guide-rings andcomposed of two detachably-connected members provided with slots havingoutwardly-directed outlets, and additional slots in the lower centralportion thereof.

2. A picket-fence-wiring machine consist ing of uprights or handle-bars,guide-rings secured between the handle-bars, twisterheads movablymounted on'said guide-rings and composed of two detachably-connectedmembers provided with slots having outwardly-directed outlets, andadditional slots in the lower central portion thereof, said membershaving reinforced portions on their inner faces to strengthen the same.

3. A picket-fence-wiring machine consisting of uprights or handle-bars,guide-rings secured between the handle -bars, twisterheads movablymounted on said guide-rings and composed of two detachably-connected'members provided with slots having outwardly-directed outlets, andadditional slots in the lower portion thereof, said members havingreinforced portions on their inner faces to strengthen the same, one ofsaid members having a segmental flange extending from one end thereof tothe other, to be used as a knocker for the picket.

4. A picket-fence-wiring machine consisting of uprights or handle-bars,guide-rings secured between the handle-bars, twisterheads movablymounted on said guide-rings and composed of two detachably-connectedmembers provided with slots having outwardly-directed outlets, andadditional slots in the lower central portion thereof, said membershaving reinforced portions on their inner faces to strengthen the same,one of said members having a segmental flange extending from one endthereof to the other, and a vertical reinforcing-rib on the outer faceof said member below said flange.

5. A picket-fence-wiring machine consisting of uprights or handle-bars,guide-rings secured between the handle-bars, twisterheads movablymounted on said guide-rings and composed of two detachably-connectedmembers provided with slots having outwardly-directed outlets, andadditional slots in the lower central portion thereof, said membershaving reinforced portions on their inner faces to strengthen the same,one of said members having a segmental flange extending from one endthereof to the other, and a vertical reinforcing-rib 011 the outer faceof said member below said flange, together with a central upper stud onthe other member to prevent the upper portion of the members fromimpinging against the edges of the guide-ring.

6. A wire-tightener of the character de scribed, consisting of a shankfrom each side of which extends a row of headed projec-v tions or knobsadapted to spread the wire, the opposite end of said shank beingbifurcated or yoke-shaped and having formed in

